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Medical Research Future Fund

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) is supporting our inspiring researchers to discover the next penicillin, pacemaker, cervical cancer vaccine, or cochlear ear.

About the fund

The MRFF is investing to supercharge the growth of our health and medical research, while fuelling jobs, economic growth and export potential.

The MRFF delivers better and more advanced health care and medical technology for Australians. It supports our inspiring researchers to make the next big medical discoveries that benefit all Australians. It’s about giving hope to Australians in need, where previously there was none, and creating the opportunity to have a better and longer life.

Meet our inspiring researchers

[Image appears of Professor Kathryn North smiling at the camera and the camera zooms in on Kathryn’s face]

Professor Kathryn North: I’ve been working for over 20 years in the field of rare disease.

[Image changes to show Kathryn seated and talking to the camera and then the image changes to show Kathryn in conversation with another female and text appears: Professor Kathryn North, AM, BSc, MBDS, MD]

My big focus at the moment is in genomics and genomic medicine and particularly how we’re implementing that into clinical practice.

[Camera zooms in on Kathryn’s face as she listens and then as she talks to the camera and then the image changes to show Kathryn and another male walking through a laboratory]

Genomics is transforming the way we do medicine. You know, five, ten years ago when a child was brought to see me because of, of weakness or an inability to walk we needed to bring them into hospital, do invasive tests under anaesthetic, often going on for many years without an answer.

[Camera zooms in on their faces as they walk and then the image changes to show Kathryn talking to the camera again]

And now in over half the cases, our first assessment of a child, we’re getting an answer immediately.

[Images move through of Kathryn and a male and female looking at a document, Kathryn talking to the camera, Kathryn in conversation with the male and female and then with another female]

The Medical Research Future Fund is an amazing investment in the future of Australian research and it’s particularly focussed on impact into clinical practice and it’s really inspiring people to think big, how do we tackle the big problems that we need to solve and to be able to change people’s lives for the better.

[Image changes to show a laboratory and the Coat of Arms and text appears: Australian Government, Medical Research Future Fund, www.health.gov.au/mrff]

That’s the ultimate goal.

[Music plays]

An expert in understanding newborn babies' brains, Associate Professor Cheong describes her work to understand and protect newborn babies from risks at birth.

[Image appears of a facing and then profile view of Associate Professor Jeanie Cheong walking]

Associate Professor Jeanie Cheong: My expertise is in the area of newborn brain.

[Images move through of Jeanie turning towards the camera and smiling, her face, Jeanie talking to the camera and Jeanie in conversation with another female and text appears: Associate Professor Jeanie Cheong, MBBS, MD, FRACP]

We spent many years understanding why do pre-term children have health and developmental challenges when they grow up and we actually have a very deep understanding of what those challenges are now.

[Images move through of a children’s book pages being turned, Jeanie talking to the camera and a machine putting purple liquid via nozzles into test tubes]

However, we’re moving on to the next step of also understanding what the risk factors are and what the protective factors are.

[Images move through of purple liquid in test tubes, a female looking into a microscope, the microscope lens, Jeanie talking to the camera and the purple liquid being stirred in a test tube]

Then can we go on to look at how we make things better, trial new treatments, new interventions that can maximise these children to reach their full potential.

[Images move through of the test tubes being moved around on a machine, a female drawing liquid into a nozzle, and Jeanie talking to the camera]

I’ve been fortunate to have received a Medical Research Future Fund Career Development Fellowship.

[Images move through of Jeanie’s face, Jeanie in conversation, Jeanie looking at a book with another female and then Jeanie talking to the camera]

This Fund enables me to have protected research time, time where I can manage the research projects and train the future generations of researchers who will carry on the work into the future.

[Images move through of Jeanie and another female looking at a children’s book, Jeanie talking to the camera and a back view of Jeanie walking inside a building and text appears: Coat of Arms and text appears: Australian Government, Medical Research Future Fund, www.health.gov.au/mrff]

The Medical Research Future Fund has the opportunity to offer all these individuals hope to achieve what they could have done regardless of the events that happened around birth.

MRFF initiatives

The MRFF funds a number of research initiatives that align with the current MRFF Strategy and Priorities.